The Cambridge & South East Cambs

Branch of the UK Independence Party

Brexit Watch - News and Views

916,000 Polish nationals live in the UK, more than the total number of British nationals living in the EU

(27/01/17) About 900,000 British citizens are living in other European Union countries – fewer than the previous widely quoted estimate of 1.2 million, according to research by the Office of National Statistics.

The new lower estimate is likely to have implications for the forthcoming negotiations between Britain and the EU over the future residency rights of the 3.15 million EU nationals living in the UK and British citizens in the rest of the bloc. Read the full article in The Guardian.

European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill 2016-17

(27/01/17) The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill is a public bill presented to Parliament by the Government. The Bill was introduced to the House of Commons and given its First Reading on Thursday 26 January 2017. This stage is formal and takes place without any debate. What happens next?

MPs will next consider the Bill at Second Reading. The Bill is expected to have its Second Reading debate on Tuesday 31 January 2017 with conclusion of Second Reading on Wednesday 1 February 2017. The Bill is then due to be considered in Committee on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 February 2017, concluding in Committee on Wednesday 8 February 2017 when the remaining stages are also due to take place. See the Parliament website.

Economists review past economic forecasts - 12m video

Today's growth figures for the UK economy were more positive than forecasters had predicted, showing Britain had the fastest-growing economy in the G7 group, and indicators were more positive than the gloomy short-term forecasts made during the referendum campaign. Watch the video on the BBC.

Article 50: which MPs are planning to vote against it (aside from Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner)?

(24/01/17) EuroGuido's spreadsheet includes a column showing how each MP’s constituency voted in the referendum, quite a few are bravely planning to defy their own voters – those Welsh Labour MPs can expect a major UKIP challenge in 2020. Ken Clarke is the only Tory who has signalled an intention to vote against Article 50. See the spreadsheet on Order-Order.com.

(24/01/17) Judges should never have been allowed to rule on how Brexit should be triggered because it is a matter for politicians and not the courts, one of the Supreme Court Justices said. Lord Carnwath, one of three Justices who sided with Theresa May, said the courts had taken “too narrow a view” of the issues at stake and should have left it to Parliament to settle its own affairs.

Together with fellow dissenters Lord Reed and Lord Hughes, he said the Prime Minister was within her rights to use the power of royal prerogative to trigger Article 50, but the three men were overruled by the eight other Justices, who all concluded that the law required a Parliamentary vote on the matter. Read the full story in the Daily Telegraph.

Even Remainers think May's deal respects the referendum result, and five other charts explaining what Brits want from Brexit

(23/01/17) Polling from YouGov reveals the split in public opinion over Brexit - while many are many prepared to ditch the single market, Remainers and Brexiters are failing to see eye to eye.

Meanwhile, many still fail to understand what the Labour Party stands for in the debate as Theresa May's plan slowly gathers acceptance from all sides - even from reluctant Remainers. Read the full article in the Daily Telegraph.

Britons think Theresa May's vision of Brexit would be good for the country and believe no deal is better than a bad one - YouGov

(18/01/17) Asked about May's statement that "no deal is better than a bad deal" 48% of the public agree, compared to 17% who would rather have a bad deal than no deal at all. 55% of people said that May should be prepared to walk away. It is a different question whether the public would actually be so sanguine about May coming back from negotiations empty handed. Our previous polls have suggested that less than a third of people think it would be good for Britain to leave the EU without any new trade deal. Read the full article with research results on YouGov.

Godfather of ‘Brexit’ takes aim at the British Establishment - New York Times' profile of Arron Banks

(21/01/17) Arron Banks is the person considered, with Nigel Farage, the former leader of the U.K. Independence Party, as most responsible for Britain’s voting to leave the European Union. In a nearly four-hour interview recently, he happily admitted that he was adamantly opposed to the European Union and that he hated the Conservative Party and especially its previous prime minister, David Cameron. For him, Mr. Cameron’s resignation was almost more satisfying than the victory of the so-called Brexiters in the June referendum. Read the full article in The New York Times.

Britain is not bluffing and will not be bullied over Brexit plans, UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall tells EU

(18/01/19) UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall MEP told the European Parliament today that Britain is not a country that will be bullied easily by EU negotiators, following Prime Minister Theresa May's announcement of her Brexit objectives. He also criticised the lack of response from Jeremy Corbyn's Labour and its demise as the party of working people.

Speaking in Strasbourg, Mr Nuttall said: “No-one in Britain bar UKIP, my party, is holding the government to account on these issues, maybe because the British Labour Party is a shambles that has let down working class people for far too long.” Read the full article on the UKIP website Daily Mail.

Welcome to the Westmonster

(19/01/17) This week sees Leave.eu launch Westmonster, a new website that will burst the Westminster bubble by giving the public the big breaking news and essential insights about Brexit as we begin pulling out of the crumbling European Union. It isn’t just for obsessive followers of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, or even British politics. It will provide digestible coverage of all of the day’s major stories in an engaging, insightful and ever so slightly provocative way. This is a news source for passionate politicos and casual observers alike. Visit the Westmonster site.

Brexit will deal a 'shock' to the EU's budget, forcing taxpayers across the continent to foot the bill for the hole left by Britain's £8.5bn a year bill

(18/01/17) The EU must brace itself for a 'shock' when it comes to filling the hole in its budget left by Britain's €10billion (£8.5bn) a year contributions, a Brussels think-tank has warned. The remaining 27 member states will have to decide whether to increase their share of budget contributions, cut spending or a combination of the two, the report said. But the research by the Jacques Delors Institute, a pro-federal Europe think-tank, warned there is 'no easy way to fill the "Brexit gap" of around €10billion per year'. Read the full article in the Daily Mail.

The 12-point Brexit plan explained: Theresa May warns EU she will walk away from a 'bad deal' for Britain

(17/01/17) Theresa May has threatened EU leaders that she will walk away from negotiations with Brussels if they attempt to give Britain a “bad deal” as she revealed her 12-point plan for divorce talks.

The Prime Minister made clear that “no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain” and warned leaders in Brussels that any attempt to damage the UK during the negotiations would be an “act of calamitous self-harm” for the EU. Read the full article in the Daily Telegraph.

(18/01/17) People who voted to leave the EU have been branded ‘the lager louts of Europe’ by a Cambridge professor. In an article for pro-EU newspaper The New European , Professor Nicholas Boyle describes Brexit as an act of “geopolitical vandalism”, and calls the idea the referendum result expresses the will of the British people a “great lie”. Read the full article in the Cambridge News.

(15/01/17) Excellent interview by our former leader who talks about Trump, the US and a trade deal, the EU and a trade deal, and himself. Watch it on YouTube.

The chancellor, Philip Hammond, says Britain could transform its economic model if deal with EU is unsatisfactory

(15/01/17) In an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Hammond said that if Britain were closed off from European markets after leaving the EU, it would consider abandoning a European-style social model with European-style taxation and regulation systems, and “become something different”.

The chancellor made his remarks in response to the suggestion that “the impression on the European continent is that your government sees the future business model of the UK as being the tax haven of Europe”. Read the full interview in Die Welt am Sonntag.

EU negotiator wants 'special' deal over access to City post-Brexit

(13/01/17) The EU’s chief negotiator in the Brexit talks has shown the first signs of backing away from his hardline, no-compromise approach after admitting he wants a deal with Britain that will guarantee the other 27 member states continued easy access to the City.

Michel Barnier wants a “special” relationship with the City of London after Britain has left the bloc, according to unpublished minutes seen by the Guardian that hint at unease about the costs of Brexit on continental Europe - twice as many euros are traded in London than in the 19 countries of the single currency combined. Read the full article in The Guardian.

QUEEN DID ATTACK EU ‘Grumpy’ Queen DID have a go at me over the EU, former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg finally claims

(13/01/17) The ex-Deputy PM has told friends Her Majesty attacked the 28 country union during a lunch with him. She accused the rise of Brussels for downgrading the role of the Commonwealth, which she leads.

Mr Clegg previously denied any dust up with the 90-year-old monarch when The Sun first broke the bombshell story that revealed her strong Euroscepticism. Read the full story in The Sun.

Brexit will be good for universities, Oxford’s new Head of Brexit strategy says

(12/01/17) British universities will establish global networks and recruit the world's "best and brightest" students outside of the European Union, Oxford University's head of Brexit strategy claimed yesterday.

Speaking publicly for the first time since his appointment in December, Professor Alastair Buchan told the Education Select Committee that membership of the EU had "sidelined" Canadian and American researchers who used to come to work at British universities, as freedom of movement made it easier to recruit Europeans. Read the full article in the Daily Telegraph.

Businesses could be hit with annual £1,000 charge for every skilled EU migrant they bring in after Brexit

(11/01/17) Businesses could be hit with a £1,000 annual charge for every skilled EU worker they employ after Britain leaves the European Union, a minister has said. Robert Goodwill, the immigration minister, suggested that the Government is considering extending the charge which will apply to non-EU citizens from April to EU migrants.

The move is designed to encourage companies to "train our own people" and reduce the levels of migration instead of relying on foreign labour. Read the full article in the Daily Telegraph.

UK in ‘Front Seat’ for US Trade Deal, top Republicans confirm

(10/01/17) Following Brexit, the UK will be in the “front seat” for a new trade deal with the U.S. under the Trump administration, senior Republicans have confirmed.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker made the declaration after meeting British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who said he was confident the UK would be “first in line” for such a trade deal, the BBC reports. Read the full story on Breitbart London.

'We’re leaving' Marr slaps down Sturgeon for thinking UK can remain in single market

(08/01/17) Scotland’s First Minister was dealt the blow after repeatedly threatening to hold a second independence referendum if her demands for single market access are not met. During the interview on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, the host told Ms Sturgeon, in no uncertain terms, that Britain’s vote to Leave included exiting the EU’s free trade agreement.

In a 50-page documented titled “Scotland’s Place in Europe”, which it released in December, the Scottish Government proposed a “differentiated” Brexit arrangement from the rest of the UK. Read the full article in the Daily Express.

Brexit economic experts are like medieval doctors with leeches - pseudoscience to trick the layman

(09/01/17) Mark Carney and City economists prophesied a 'technical recession' but Britain has grown faster since the vote. How could they get it so wrong?, asks Daniel Hannan. Read the full article in the International Business Times.

(09/01/17) The UK would lose “negotiating capital” in Europe if it unilaterally granted EU citizens the right to remain after Brexit, the government has said.

In a letter to a group of EU citizens from the office of the home secretary, Amber Rudd, the government said it “recognises that EU nationals make an invaluable contribution to our economy and society”. Read the full article in the Guardian.

The Bank of England has admitted its dire warnings of a downturn in the wake of the Brexit vote were a “Michael Fish” moment and said that the economics profession was now in “crisis”.

Andy Haldane, the Bank of England’s chief economist, said there was a “disconnect” between political warnings about Brexit and the “remarkably placid” state of the markets, adding that the worst predictions may turn out to be “just scare stories”. Read the full story in the Telegraph.

Manufacturing accelerates on export boom as factories ramped up output in December at levels not seen since 2014

(03/01/17) British factories ramped up output in December as strong export and domestic demand stimulated growth in the manufacturing sector, according to an influential private sector survey. Sterling’s weakness since the referendum has made UK-produced goods more attractive internationally, helping the industry rebound from a spell of uncertainty following the Brexit vote.

The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) put together by IHS Markit hit 56.1, its highest level since mid-2014. Any index score of above 50 indicates the sector is expanding. Read the full article in the Telegraph.

Afghan who beheaded Dutch woman is allowed into Britain... where he assaulted a Gatwick staff member and two police officers with a HAMMER

(05/01/17) Note: the Single Market comes with freedom of movement to all EU citizens....

A convicted murderer from Holland was able to walk through Britain’s porous borders without any checks and went on to attack two police officers with a claw-hammer. Afghan-born Jamshid Piruz was allowed to enter the UK unchallenged despite being sentenced to 12 years in jail for slaughtering his female tenant in cold-blood after watching a Taliban beheading video. Fury erupted after it emerged that the jobless 34-year-old was the latest in a string of foreign criminals to commit horrific offences in Britain after exploiting EU free movement rules. Read the full story in the Daily Mail.

Brexit: banks consider whether to start moving business out of UK

(03/01/17) Brexit could have an impact on the City in the coming months as banks decide whether to implement contingency plans to ensure they retain access to the remaining 27 EU member states by moving business out of the UK. A surprisingly well-balanced article from the Guardian.

Population of Britain is set to overtake France within 13 years due to high immigration

(04/01/17) Britain's population is set to overtake that of France within 13 years because of the impact of high immigration, EU estimates have said. Numbers of people living here will top French levels in 2030 and will keep rising to make Britain the most populous country in Europe by 2050, they predicted.

The key reason why the British population is going up so quickly compared to that of neighbouring countries is immigration, according to the projections from Eurostat. Read the full article in the Daily Mail.